An Interesting Pair
by TheMaskedArtist
Summary: Jedi Padawan Maya Sil and her master, Derek Gen, travel the universe on missions from the Jedi Council and fight various enemies, collect tattoos, meet new friends, learn more about each other, and become one of the most celebrated Jedi teams.
1. Chapter 1

(A/n: So, a new story. Star wars this time. Haha. I don't know. I didn't plan on starting anything new until I was done with Raelee, but I couldn't help myself. I've been watching a lot of Star Wars on Cinemax lately and I got in the mood. When you read this, you'll find out what Derek's clothes look like later. So, without further ado…)

**Chapter 1**

Maya Sil, a thirteen-year-old Jedi Padawan stood in the center of the Jedi Council, in the tall tower on Corusant. All of her elders, the members, were staring at her in silence. She felt all of their eyes on her. It made her sweat. As much as she wanted to leave the room and get away from it all, she stood as still as stone. She tried to rid her mind of all thoughts, but the death of her last master invaded her head. Maya pushed, but it wouldn't go away. She frowned.

"The fault is not yours, Maya," Master Mace Windu said. She looked straight at him. "I can see your thoughts, young one." She looked away from him. He looked at Yoda, who nodded. "We'll discuss your future very soon. You may go back to the temple with the other children." She bowed quickly, turned on her heels, and left the room. The small girl was halfway down the hallways when she ran into a young master, heading for the room she had just come from.

"I wouldn't expect much out of them if I were you," she said before pushing her way past him. Maya was almost to the elevator when he called to her.

"Are you Maya Sil?" he asked, looking back at her. She stopped and turned to look at him.

"Why?" she asked, in a rude tone. "If you're going to give me your condolences over the death of my late master, save it." He smiled.

"That's not what I was going to talk to you about, my dear," he said, calmly. "And it won't do you any good to be rude." He walked up to her. She calmed down for a moment and bowed.

"I'm sorry, sir," she said, quietly.

"All is forgiven. I was going to ask you, if you would have me, if I could take you on as my Padawan Learner" Maya was surprised, but tried not to show it.

"Why would you want me, of all the kids here?" she asked. "Besides, I'm bad luck. I've been through three masters in less than three years." He nodded.

"I know," he said, with a smile. She couldn't even begin to guess why he was so happy. "But, you are currently a padawan without a master. Masters are hard to come by these days, girl. And, you need someone who can take care of you this time." She looked at him skeptically.

"Who says you can take care of me?" He didn't answer. She left it alone. "What's your name?" Maya Sil asked him.

"Master Derek Gen," the young Jedi said. "What do you say?" He held out his hand to her. She looked at his hand for a few silent seconds. "Come on."

"I don't know," Maya said. "I don't want anyone else to die because of me. Sorry." She turned to leave, but he put a hand on her shoulder.

"You can't dwell on the past, Maya. It wasn't your fault. One of it was your fault. From what I can see of your future, it looks bright. We have great things to do, you and I. I think we should both take this great opportunity to be a team." She turned around and looked him in the eyes. She needed this assurance. They were kind and honest. She looked down for a second. "Give me a chance." Maya looked back up, with a smile. She took his hand.

"Alright." He smiled as well. Before she could let go of his hand, he quickly turned towards the council room and pulled her along with him. "What-!"

"We've got to tell the council right away!" Derek exclaimed.

"But-!"

"Hurry along, now." The reached the door and he left go of her hand. The door opened automatically and they both walked in.

"Master Derek, this is an unexpected surprise. And Maya, back so soon?" Yoda asked. "How may we help you?"

"I came to inform you that my mission was completed with success," Derek Gen stated to the council.

"Thank you for your bravery, Derek. We will be talking about this soon. Is that all?" Mace Windu asked. He switched his glance to Maya.

"Actually, no," Derek started. "I've decided to take Maya Sil as my Padawan Learner. And she given her consent." Everyone, with the exception of Yoda and Mace, looked at the young master in surprise.

"Are you sure?" Windu asked. Derek nodded with a smile. "Alright, it is done."

"Thank you, master." Derek and Maya both bowed and slowly went out of the room. When the doors closed behind them, he turned to her. "I have a few simple rules for you to follow as my apprentice." His new apprentice nodded. They started walking towards the elevators. "First of all, listen to what I say and do what I tell you to do. Second, don't hide anything from me. If something is bothering you, tell me when it's bothering you. Next, don't argue with me when I don't obey the Jedi code. I only obey it when the council gives me missions. Lastly, be yourself. I don't care what the council makes you wear. I believe it is important for everyone to be unique. If you don't want to wear the customary clothing or hair, then don't!"

"Okay, so, I can grow out my hair and wear whatever I like?" Maya asked, making sure she got her facts right.

"Well, as long as it's not inappropriate, then, of course! I mean, look at my clothes." Maya looked over him. He was telling the truth. She looked back up at him. "You'll find, Maya, that I am very easy going if you listen to what I say. Of course, your training will be tough, but you'll learn a lot and quickly." Maya Sil nodded.

"I understand," she said.

"Are you hungry?" her new master asked, out of the blue. "I haven't eaten anything all day. I don't usually eat before getting on a ship."

"Oh, really? I don't either. I haven't eaten since last night. I was shipped here over night and haven't had any time to eat anything," Maya responded. Derek Gen nodded and smiled.

"Okay, let's go!" they went down the elevator and through the temple. They went out into the busy streets of the planet. On their way out, the pair passed another master and padawan pair. They were only a few steps behind them when they were stopped.

"Derek?" the master of the other pair asked. Maya's master turned around.

"Qui-Gon!" Derek exclaimed. "It's been a while!" Maya turned to see an older Jedi she didn't know. His apprentice went through the Jedi Academy with her and was her age. But, she didn't know his name.

"Who is this?" Qui-Gon asked, looking over Derek's new apprentice.

"My new padawan," the younger Jedi answered. Maya bowed.

"Jedi Padawan Maya Sil, sir," she said, then straightened up.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, young one. And you look promising too."

"It's been about a year since we have seen each other, yes? I see you finally have an apprentice. What is his name?" Derek said, looking down at the 13-year-old boy. The boy repeated Maya's bow and introduced himself.

"Jedi Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi," he said and stood up straight. Derek nodded.

"Why not join us for some lunch?" he asked his old friend. Qui-Gon looked looked down at his padawan, who smiled.

"Why not? We've been training all day. It would be a relief to take a break," the older man responded. With that, they decided on where to dine and went on their way.


	2. Chapter 2

(A/n: Maya and Derek's attire will be described in the next chapter, I think…and starting from this chapter on, Derek is 28. Oh, yeah…I forgot…

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars…duh. Maya Sil and Derek Gen are mine, though. Dreon Hoash belongs to my friend Drew.)

**Chapter 2**

_3 years later_

"Maya? Maya, are you listening to me?" the voice of her master penetrated her flashback. A 16-year-old Maya Sil opened her eyes. There were clouds floating all about. She sat in a hot spring pool wearing only her undergarments. Derek Gen sat across from her. She picked her head up and looked over at her master.

"I apologize, master. I think I was dozing off. Could you repeat that?" She asked him, and looked down to the water.

"No, it's alright, my dear. We've done enough work today. Just relax for now and we'll continue in the morning," he said, with a smile. Maya had been with him for three years now and still didn't know why he smiled so much, even when she made big mistakes. She nodded and laid her head back on the ground behind her. The two had taken a break from the many missions they'd had and went to a far away planet, in the Outer Rim Territories, to train for three weeks. The next day, they would train in the morning and then leave to Corusant. Derek had been teaching Maya about the living force. He had also started teaching her how to pilot. It had been hard work, but they'd always have fun afterwards. "Is this little trip helping you any?"

"Yes," she answered. "It's a lot easier to learn away from all the people and noise on Corusant." Her master nodded. She smiled. "We should do this more often." Maya took the ribbon out of her hair and let her collar-bone brown locks fall over her shoulders. She put the ribbon with another identical one, on top of her clothes. "I'm going to go to bed."

"Alright. See you in the morning," Derek said with a wave. His padawan stood up and grabbed the towel that sat next to her clothes. She wrapped it around her body, picked up her clothes, and headed back for their ship. Once on the large spacecraft, she changed her underwear and put on a tan, short-sleeved dress that went down to her knees. She used it for nightclothes. Maya went to the back of the ship and climbed into her bed. In less than five minutes, she was asleep. A few minutes after that, Derek came in to the room with his towel wrapped around his waist. "Hay, Maya…," he started. He looked down at her, smiled, and left the room.

Around 1 in the morning, Maya awoke from a huge jolt in the ship. She sat up, quickly, and bumped her head on the bunk above her.

"Damnit!" she yelled and put a hand on her head.

"Sorry!" Derek Gen called from the front of the ship. Quickly, the young padawan slipped into her boots and raced to the cockpit. The first thing she saw when she reached it was the blackness of space. She put a hand on her head again, where she bumped it. It was still hurting. She would surely have a bump there later. "Hit your head again?" She ignored his question.

"Why are we in space already? I thought we were going to train first," Maya said.

"I decided to leave early. Yu were exhausted and I thought you would be happy to see your old friends again," her master answered. "Now, sit down and help me," he ordered. "We're being shot at. I think we are in someone else's territory."

"Yes, master." She obediently sat down in the chair next to his and helped him get out of the sticky situation. A few hours later, they landed in Corusant. The pair emerged from the ship, still in their nightclothes, carrying their equipment with them. The whole place was virtually silent. It was four in the morning and almost no one in the Jedi Temple was awake. Maya staggered out of the hangar. Derek put a hand on her shoulder to hold her steady.

"I didn't realize how tired you were, falling asleep while walking," he said. "I'll take this." Her master took her training equipment out of her hands. "Go to our quarters and get some sleep." He gave her a little push and went on his way. Maya watched him until he disappeared, then started towards the Jedi apartments. When she was about halway there, she closed her eyes and yawned. In mid-yawn, she ran into a door with a loud _thump_ and fell flat on her back.

"I gotta stop doing that…," she whispered to herself as she started to sit up. The door she had just run into creaked open. When she looked up, she saw an apprentice, around her age, standing in the doorway, staring. He was tall, had dark, ginger hair, green eyes, and was wearing only his knee-length pants and a long, tan tunic. "Oh man. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you!"

"Nah, it's alright. I wasn't really asleep, anyway," the boy said, holding out a hand. She took it and he pulled her up. When she was on her feet, he let her go. "Dreon Hoash."

"Maya Sil," Maya said. There was an awkward silence between them for a few seconds.

"So, what are you doing out so…early?" Dreon asked her.

"Well, my master and I just got in from another planet and he sent me up to get some sleep. But, now I happen to be completely awake," she said with a nervous giggle. He nodded. Silence. "So…you're padawan to Master Gerard, right?"

"Yes, that's right."

"I've seen you guys train together. You're amazing!"

"We're not that good, are we?" he asked, with a smile. Maya smiled as well. "Well, you're not too bad yourself," Dreon commented.

"You've seen Derek and I?" she asked. He nodded. "Well, then, we should spar sometime!"

"Yes, we should. I was just thinking the same thing!" he confessed.

"Maya?" the voice of her master said from behind her. Dreon looked up from her to him. She turned around the face him. "I thought I told you to go get some sleep." She bowed to him.

"I'm sorry, master. I ran into Dreon's door and I was merely apologizing," the padawan explained, then stood up straight. Derek nodded.

"Well, I guess it's good that you're not asleep yet," he said. "I've signed you up for a practice session in one of the training rooms. You'll duel later this afternoon, around 5 or so." Maya nodded.

"Who am I going against?" she asked. Her master smiled, devilishly.

"You'll just have to wait and find out when the time comes, my dear," he answered. The two padawans looked at each other. "Well, let's get to bed. You need your rest." She nodded and turned back to Dreon.

"It was nice meeting you, Dreon Hoash."

"You too, Maya Sil," he replied.

"We'll be seeing you soon, Dreon!" Derek exclaimed, suddenly. They both looked at the older man.

"What?" Maya asked loudly.

"You'll see!"

"Hm…" She eyes him suspiciously.

"Anyway, goodnight, Maya, Master Gen," Dreon said with a bow.

"'Night!" Derek said and pushed his apprentice down the hall. When they reached their rooms, he opened the door and waited for Maya to go through first. "Ladies first."

"Uh…thanks." Maya hated it when he did things like that. She went in and immediately went for her room.

"Wait, Maya!" her master commanded. She stopped and turned to face him. He pushed her clothes into her arms. "Go straight to bed. No checking your messages tonight." She nodded and turned on her heels.

"Goodnight, master," she said, when she reached her room. He waved at her and she closed the door. She dropped her training clothes in a hamper, keeping just the ribbons in her hands. She set them on her bedside table and kicked off her boots. She noticed a number flashing on the little hologram projector that sat on the table. It blinked 20. She ignored it, like Derek said, and laid down on her bed. Maya clicked off the light and fell asleep not long after.


	3. Chapter 3

(A/n: It's been a while since I've written on this one, eh? My friend Drew came up with the name Jenur Shikar for the little girl. She might show up again sometime later. And the information in this chapter about Aayla Secura was found in the databank.

Lastly, this chapter is a little longer than usual…)

**Chapter 3**

When Maya woke up, the sunlight through her window made her squint. The noise outside, from all of the vehicles going by, was loud. She looked over to her clock. When she saw how late it was, she jumped out of her bed and started to get ready at top-speed. She went to the trunk at the bottom of her bed and threw open the top, pulling out some clothes.

"Why didn't he wake me up in time for breakfast?" Maya Sil asked herself outloud. She pulled her nightclothes off and dropped them off the floor. She slipped into her blue pants, with the left side cut off into shorts and buckled her belt around her waist. Next, she threw her black, backless tank top over her head and tied it in the back. She clasped two silver metal belts around her stomach to keep her shirt from getting in the way. Lastly, she put her tan boots on headed out into the front room of their apartment. When she got there, her master was bowing to Mace Windu.

"Thank you for your time, Master Windu," Derek Gen said, as he stood up straight.

"Anytime, Derek. I will see you and…" His voice trailed off when he noticed Maya walking in. "Well, nice of you to join us, young one." She bowed to both masters.

"Sorry I am late, Master. We got in very early and I must have been very tired," she apologized to her master. He nodded, then turned back to Mace.

"We will see you later this evening," he said. The two Jedi bowed to each other and the older of the two left the apartment. Derek looked at Maya and smiled. He pointed at her head. She froze and put a hand on her head. Her hair. She knew she forgot something. "Go on, go on. Just hurry with it." She nodded and went back to her room. A few minutes later, she emerged with half of her hair tied up in two buns, one on each side of her head. Two red ribbons fell from her buns. "Alright, now let's get lunch. You have a fight in a few hours."

"Yes, master," the Padawan said, following her master out. On the way out, she grabbed her lightsaber from a small table by the door and clipped it on to her belt.

"How many times have I told you not to lave it there? Even here, at home, even though we are not here much, you could get into some sort of trouble and then where would you be?" Derek lectured her. Maya sighed and nodded.

"I know, master. How many times are you going to tell me the same thing?"

"Until you do as I say," he concluded. She nodded once more and silently followed him down to the hall to the cafeteria. When they got there, there were mostly Padawan Learners that had no master. Mostly the younger kids that were taking a break from classes for lunch.

"Maya! Maya!" When she heard her name, Maya turned to see three little five-year-olds ran up to her.

"Well, hello there!" she greeted with a smile. "I haven't seen you in so long! You little ones are getting big!"

"What mission did you go on this time, Maya?" a little yellow Twi'lek girl asked her, excitedly, pulling on her pants leg. The older girl knelt down so the girl would stop tugging.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Jenur, but we only went to another planet to train. No mission this time. But, in a few hours, around five, I will be fighting with another apprentice about my age, if you would like to watch," she explained, smiling. All three little kids started to squeal and jump up and down. "Alright, alright. Settle down and go finish your food." Maya stood up and the kids started to walk away, waving goodbye.

"You're good with kids, Maya," her master said, with a smile. She turned back to face him.

"Well, I suppose compared to them I'm grown-up," the Padawan started. "But I really am still just a child." Derek nodded in agreement. "Well, I'm starving. Lets get some food." They both took off for the food and had a wonderful lunch together.

Later, Maya stood in an empty locker room. She sat down on a bench and closed her eyes, trying to clear her mind before the fight, but it wasn't working. She was anxious to find out who she was fighting, and if she had fought him or her before. Would she win? Or, would she lose? Before she would think about anything else, she pushed the thoughts out of her head. When she calmed her mind, she smiled.

"Yes, master?" Derek Gen stood in the corner, holding a pair of white gloves, watching her.

"You're getting better, I see," he said with a smile. She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Here, I brought these for you. You seem to go through them quickly." He walked over to his Padawan and handed her the gloves. She always used them for fighting. Maya Sil took them and slid them on her hands. Her master knelt down in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Stay calm and focused. The Padawan you will be fighting is tough. Whatever you do, do not give up."

"Yes, master. I understand," she said. He smiled.

"You have made me very proud, Maya," Derek said as he stood up. "Now, go get 'em!" She nodded and stood up. She took up her lightsaber in her left hand and went out the door that led to the training dome. She looked up through the glass dome high above her. She saw her three little friends, including Jenur Shikar. Master Mace Windu was there, along with Rian Gerard, who was Dreon Hoash's master. But he was without his apprentice. Her own master would join them soon. There were plenty of other Jedi there, with their Padawans. Aayla Secura, who was just recovering from some problems with the dark side, was there. While she was in rehabilitation, Maya had gone to see her a lot, to keep her company. Now she was under the instruction of Master Tholme. After identifying a few more of her friends and mentors, she looked around the huge room. It was the forest dome. Trees and vines were everywhere, along with creeks and even simulated bird noises.

"Fancy meeting you here, Maya," a familiar voice said. She looked to her right, where Dreon Hoash was coming out of another locker room. That would explain why Master Gerard did not have his apprentice with him.

"So, it looks like we'll be fighting each other today, then?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer. "We should watch what we say to each other from now on." He smiled, remembering their conversation from earlier that morning.

"No kidding," he agreed. He unclipped his lightaber from his belt. "Let's get this over with, huh?" Maya nodded.

"Jedi Padawans Maya Sil and Dreon Hoash, are you both ready?" Mace Windu's voice loud voice came from above.

"Yes, master," the two apprentices said in unison.

"Alright, bow." The two teenagers obeyed their mentor and bowed to each other. "Now…begin!" Maya ignited her blue lightsaber. Dreon ignited his as well and disappeared within the trees. She took a quick scan of her surroundings before moving and jumped up into a tree. She took a long vine and swung herself over to the next tree. She stood, silently, on a large branch, that was near the top of the tree. The padawan spotted her opponent in a large patch of overgrown grass that was about as tall as he was. Quickly, Maya climbed down, each branch closer to Dreon. Finally, she dropped herself into the patch of grass. She could hear his lightsaber buzzing and he could probably hear hers as well. Suddenly, there was a bright flash in front of her face and she bent backwards to avoid it, but the end of Dreon's lightsaber slightly caught her chin and left a burn mark.

"Damn!" she cursed, loudly. "I should have saw that coming!" She stood up straight, just in time to block another attack. Maya hopped back slightly. Then, everything went silent. She tried to listen for any sound that would reveal his whereabouts. When she couldn't hear anything, she closed her eyes and focused on where his presence was. It took a few seconds before she could pinpoint him. _There!_ She turned quickly and blocked his attack from the back.

"You're good," he said with a smile. He pulled his lightsaber away from hers and she went in for an attack on him. He hit hers away from his face and took off running through the trees. She smiled and followed him. He stopped in a clearing, which took her by surprise and she skidded to a stop in the short grass. He turned and went after her. For a few minutes, Maya played on the defensive side as Dreon hacked away at her, and missed every time. She could see that he was starting to get tired; that his movements were getting slower. Finally, she took charge and went in for a hit. He tried to block it, but like she thought, was tricked, as she went in for a different attack and kicked his lightsaber into the air. He watched it soar into the air. While he was caught off-guard, she pushed him over. He landed on his back. In a swift and easy movement, she caught his lightsaber and pointed both of them at his neck.

"Never let down your guard," she commanded her fallen opponent. After a few seconds, she smiled and turned both lightsabers off. Maya clipped her to her belt and gave her new friend a hand up. Once he was on his feet, she handed his lightsaber over and looked up at their audience. Derek Gen was watching them, smiling, and nodding in approvement. He stood next to Rian Gerard, who was turning to the other Jedi to congratulate him. The three small apprentices were jumping up and down again, excited and hyper, as usual. Aayla had disappeared. Mace Windu yelled down to them.

"Well done, young ones. Now, bow." The two teenagers bowed to each other once again.

"We should do this again sometime," Dreon said when they were standing up again.

"I agree," Maya said, holding a devilish smile on her face. Then, they both turned went back to their lockers rooms. When she had closed the door behind her, Maya let out a relieved sigh and took her gloves off her sweaty hands. She went over to the locker with her name on in, opened it, threw the gloves in it, and then closed it. When she turned, she saw her blue Twi'lek friend standing, silently, in the same corner her master had been in before the fight.

"That was a wonderful fight, Maya," Aayla said. "You'll be a great Jedi for sure."

"Well so will you," Maya said, sitting down on a bench and offering the other apprentice a seat next to her. The other girl came over and sat on the bench opposite her. "You just have to be patient. It takes many years to become a Jedi. Come on, you're only a year or two older than I am."

"I don't know," the Twi'lek said, looking at the ground. "After what happened with Quinlan Vos and Volfe Karkko…they may not want me to be a Jedi anymore." Maya shook her head.

"Aayla, if they didn't want you to be a Jedi, you would have been kicked out. They wouldn't have put you with your new master." Aayla shrugged. "I have had my own doubts before, don't worry. I went through three masters in less than 3 years, remember? I didn't think anyone would take me in. But then came Derek…and I've been with him for three years now. You'll be a Jedi, don't worry." The older girl looked up to see Maya smiling at her. Aayla smiled and nodded at the same time. Before anyone could say anything else, the door opened and Derek Gen walked into the locker room.

"Ah, Aayla Secura. This is a surprise. How is rehabilitation going?" Derek asked.

"I'm almost done with it and it is going fairly well. At least I'm allowed to move about and train again," she answered. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must retire." The Twi'lek nodded towards Maya and bowed to Derek, then was gone.

"Good job out there, my young padawan," Derek congratulated her. He came closer and inspected her chin. "Does it hurt?"

"Not too much," she answered. "It was just a small burn. It should heal quickly." Her master nodded.

"Well, come," he said, pulling Maya to her feet. "We're to meet Master Mace Windu for dinner as soon as we can." She nodded and followed him back out into the outside world.


	4. Chapter 4

(And yet…another new character that might be important in the future. I have an idea for him. His name is Maneh Sangha and he is mine. I know these chapters are slightly boring, but before I can get into the action stuff, I need to set up relationships because some of these people that don't seem very big now might have a bigger role in the future.)

**Chapter 4**

A few days later, Maya Sil sat alone in the Jedi Archive Library, looking through some files for her master. Derek had gone to another planet with Master Windu a few days earlier. They had to settle something between a couple of world leaders but they should arrive back in the next day or two. They hadn't needed her to come along so, while he was gone, he had asked her to look up the environment and nature of the species on the next planet they would be traveling to on a mission. But, unfortunately, he hadn't told her the quadrants of said planet and had no idea where to find it. She had been searching through the many planets in the galaxy for hours and it was starting to get late. She started to sigh, which turned into a yawn. Then, her stomach started to growl. She hadn't had much to eat, either. The teenager looked around the large room. There was absolutely no one there. Even the keeper, Jocasta Nu had retired to her bed.

"I'll never find this planet," Maya concluded and slumped back in her chair. She got a chill and wished she had brought her long, brown, hooded cloak. It wasn't anything special; the typical Jedi cloak. She usually didn't wear it, though. The young apprentice stared at the computer screen for a couple of minutes. She felt a presence enter the library, but she figured it was just another Padawan or Jedi there to return something. She ignored it until a few seconds later when whoever it was walked up behind her and bent over her shoulder.

"You look tired," a familiar voice said. She turned her head and saw Dreon Hoash standing there. She sat up, quickly. "What are you looking for?"

"A planet," Maya said, looking at the screen.

"Well, obviously," he said. "But, which one?"

"Belgaroth," she answered. "My master didn't even tell me where I could find it. A lot of help he was." She sighed. He reached over her and started typing into the computer.

"That one's easy." A planet came up on the screen. It was a nasty colored planet and it didn't look too healthy. "It's in the Core Worlds," Dreon explained. "It's basically a large toxic dump, but it's inhabitants only care about having money and jobs." Maya stared at the screen for a few seconds, and then looked back at her new friend.

"Thanks," she said, relief flooding over her. "Now, I can finally get out of here. I need some food."

"Oh, would you like to come with us?" the other Padawan offered. "Master Rian saw you sitting in here alone and told me to ask you to join us. We're going out to one of the restaurants that are open all the time."

"Yeah, sure! That would be great!" Maya exclaimed. "I haven't had much to eat today." She quickly shut down her computer and followed Dreon back out of the library to meet his master. The older Jedi was standing right outside the doors, waiting. When the two teenagers reached him, Maya bowed in greeting.

"Good evening, Maya Sil," Rian Gerard said, when she had stood straight up again. "I hear your master is not here, so I sent Dreon in to see if you would like to join us."

"I would like that very much, thank you," she said. He smiled and nodded, then started to lead the two out of the temple.

"I'm sorry, I have not been able to congratulate you for winning the match against my apprentice the other day. I have been very busy," he said. "You fought very well and I hope I will be able to see you two in action again soon."

"Thank you, master, but Dreon was a very good fighter. It was hard to beat him," Maya said, smiling.

"If I may say," the Jedi started, "I believe you both will turn out to be wonderful Jedi Knights."

"You think so?" Dreon asked. His master nodded. They walked silently for a few more minutes and the walked into a restaurant. It was dimly lit and there weren't many people in the sit-down part of the place. There were a lot of people in the bar, most of them, by the time it was then, were already drunk and acting like fools. The few that weren't drunk were sitting in their seats, looking around suspiciously. Rian led the two apprentices to a booth, where he sat on his side, alone, and the teenagers sat together. A human waiter came over, who couldn't have been more than a few years older than Maya and Dreon.

"Ah, Master Rian! And Dreon Hoash! You have not been here for a long time," he said when he saw the two. Maya inspected him. He had raven black hair and rare red eyes. He looked as if he could be evil, but he was too cheery and didn't have an evil aura. He was tall and sort of thin. If she had not been in training to be a Jedi, Maya Sil might have thought that he was cute. The waiter looked at her and she looked away. "I see you have a new addition."

"Ah, this is Maya Sil. She is the apprentice of Derek Gen. I believe I brought him here once." The boy nodded, remembering. "Oh, forgive me, Maya. This is Maneh Sangha. Before he worked here, he was training to be a Jedi but dropped out."

"Why?" she asked, looking at Maneh. "Why did you drop out?" He hesitated at first.

"We had some…disagreements," Maneh answered. "I had been Master Rian's Padawan…"

"But, I hold no grudge. It was your choice and I respect that," The Jedi said, with a smile.

"Besides," the waiter continued, "I wasn't that great. Dreon is amazing. My former master really deserves him instead of me."

"Maya, here, is more amazing than I am," Dreon said. "Just a few days ago she beat me in a fight. I did burn her a bit, though." He pointed to the girl's chin, which was still a little red.

"Yes, but it doesn't hurt," she said, smiling. "It will heal quickly, I believe."

"Well, I'd better stop chatting and take your order before my boss yells at me," Maneh said. The three customers ordered their food. The service was fast, since there was virtually no one there. Dreon and Rian talked the whole time but Maya kept her eyes on the bar. There was a person there, dressed in all black. He looked human but, the left side of his face had been burned badly. The man kept eyeing the three. A while later, Maneh came back to take their plates and give them the check. The girl offered to pay for her share but the older Jedi wouldn't hear of it. After they paid, they went out front.

"Oh, Maya, Dreon, I hope you will excuse me tonight. I have a meeting I forgot about until now. Please, go ahead without me." The two Padawans nodded, said their farewells and went on their way back to the temple. For the first few minutes, they were silent, and then Dreon decided to try to make some small talk.

"So, are you and Master Gen going to Belgaroth soon?" he asked, dodging a creature, walking on the street.

"Yes," Maya started. "We are going to be sent to settle something…I think, anyway. He didn't exactly tell me what we were doing, only that we were going." Dreon nodded.

"It is not a very healthy or welcoming place," he said. "You should watch your back, Maya. They are obsessed with money and will do anything to get it, including kill. It's not uncommon there." She looked at him. His face was serious.

"How do you know so much?" the other Padawan asked. He looked down.

"It's a horrible planet," he started. "I've never been there, but from what I remember from before I was brought here, my parents moved from Belgaroth to Alderaan and that place had rubbed off on them, badly. " Maya nodded.

"I see," she said and looked back in front of her. They went back to the Jedi Temple. There was nobody around. When they got up to Dreon's apartment, they bid each other goodnight. Maya started up to her own apartment, but when she passed a random hallway, she saw something blue out of the corner of her eye. She stopped at looked down the hall. It was a person, laying on the ground in front of a door.. The apprentice started quickly down the hallway.

"Aayla?!"


End file.
